Chanel drops use of fur and exotic skins for their creations. (Source: chanelofficial/Instagram)One of the top luxury fashion houses, Chanel, recently announced the ban of fur and exotic animal skins like snake, crocodile, lizard and stingray for creating their garments. The company’s Fashion President, Bruno Pavlovksy, said the decision was taken as it was becoming extremely hard to source such animal pelts ethically.
About the baning, Chanel’s Creative Director Karl Lagerfeld told Women’s Wear Daily, “We did it because it’s in the air, but it’s not an air people imposed on us.”
Python skin bags were earlier taken down from the company site although Pavlovsky explained that it would take a while before the existing fur and exotic skin products are completely out of their shops. The company would now focus on developing leather and other materials from ‘agri-food’ industries.
Chanel’s spokesperson told CNN, “At Chanel, we are continually reviewing our supply chains to ensure they meet our expectations of integrity and traceability. In this context, it is our experience that it is becoming increasingly difficult to source exotic skins which match our ethical standards.”
Meanwhile, Tracy Reiman, Executive Vice President of PETA, said in a statement: “The champagne corks are popping at PETA, thanks to Chanel’s announcement that it’s kicking fur and exotic skins including crocodile, lizard, and snakeskin to the curb.”
“For decades, PETA has called on the brand to opt for luxury, cruelty-free fashion that no animal had to suffer and die for, and now it’s time for other companies, like Louis Vuitton, to follow the lead of the iconic double C’s and do the same,” Reiman further added.
PETA had previously released a list of the fashion houses that have already stopped the usage of fur, which includes some renowned names like Versace, Armani, Burberry and Zara.
ALL of these companies (& more) have banned fur!
– Michael Kors
– Versace
– J. Crew
– Lacoste
– Giorgio Armani
– Calvin Klein
– The North Face
– Burberry
– Diane von Furstenberg
– Gucci
– Gap
– REI
– Furla
– bebe
– H&M
– ZARA
– John Galliano
– Coach— PETA: Bringing Home the Bagels Since 1980 (@peta) November 24, 2018
When Gucci dropped fur last year, animal rights campaigners welcomed the move saying it could have a knock-on effect. “Gucci’s decision will radically change the future of fashion,” Simone Pavesi, manager of animal-free fashion at Italian campaign group LAV. “As fashion becomes more and more ethical, supply chains that revolve around animals will be a thing of the past.”
